Thread:

New Mexico winterization

I'm needing some input from some of you guys about winterizing my boat.
I'm taking my boat to a shop In Albuquerque next week to have it winterized and the guy at the shop says that, after they perform the service work, they drain the engine down and then run it in a "safe" anti-freeze. They claim it will cut down on rust growth in the engine but they mainly run it in "safe" anti freeze so they can check for leaks before I get my boat back. (1) Do any of you guys put anti-freeze in your engines. (2) Is there a "safe" anti-freeze or are these guys b.s.ing me
Thanks for any input

Not sure what "safe anti freeze" is but I use the pink stuff you can find at any walmart etc. I use 10-15 gallons make good n sure thats all I see coming out the tail pipes fog the cylinders with tranny fluid and im done. I usually go ahead & put in a new set of plugs right then so it will light off in the spring. Very easy to do. Hope this helps.

I called them back and he said it was a propylene based anti-freeze and not the ethylene base. He said it was going to be a pink colored anti-freeze but he did say some manufacturers are now tinting it some kind of blue color ???. I went by their shop to see how they do it and what they have, is a big metal tank with a fiberglass liner that has a big pump in it which then pumps the anti freeze into the normal water pick ups on the drive, they start the engine and let it run. He gave me a msds sheet on the anti-freeze but it looks like the same stuff used in r.v's. All they do for their so called "basic" winterization is check the drive for water, put some kind of fuel additive in it, drain the engine, run it in their anti-freeze and spray some kind of oil in the carbs. It sounds like from your responses, that's all that's necessary (outside of changing oils/fluids). Anything else? Does $100.00 seem reasonable for this service?

Originally Posted by Speedy G

I called them back and he said it was a propylene based anti-freeze and not the ethylene base. He said it was going to be a pink colored anti-freeze but he did say some manufacturers are now tinting it some kind of blue color ???. I went by their shop to see how they do it and what they have, is a big metal tank with a fiberglass liner that has a big pump in it which then pumps the anti freeze into the normal water pick ups on the drive, they start the engine and let it run. He gave me a msds sheet on the anti-freeze but it looks like the same stuff used in r.v's. All they do for their so called "basic" winterization is check the drive for water, put some kind of fuel additive in it, drain the engine, run it in their anti-freeze and spray some kind of oil in the carbs. It sounds like from your responses, that's all that's necessary (outside of changing oils/fluids). Anything else? Does $100.00 seem reasonable for this service?

YES. Damn that seems cheep to me. Where are you having it done? I need to get mine scheduled at a shop in Elephante Butte. Does that mean that summer is over

The price is just for their "basic" winterize. It's 99.00 plus about 30.00 for the materials. Mark at D&M Marine is who I'm dealing with. They did some drive work and some other misc stuff in the spring, which I've had no problems with, so I figured they should be more than capable of "freeze-proofing" my stuff. They are in Albuquerque, near the Big I. 884-2628.

Just got the boat back this morning and beleive it or not it's actually cleaner, a lot cleaner, than when I took it in. How often does that happen? To bad I had to tow it in the rain. They did a great job, from what I can tell, and the price was actually 20.00 less than what I was told. That never happens. I would recommend D&M to anyone and everyone.